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Author | Topic: Questions for Britishers | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Amlodhi Inactive Member |
Hello Mr. Jack, etal.
Though I am not versed in the various internal dialects in the UK, one thing I had noticed (and enjoyed) in common British speech is what might be called "inverse emphasis". I later heard this example given:
quote: Along with many others, I find it very pleasing to listen to alternate dialects. Not only because of unique accentuation, but also because the words themselves are quite often employed in a manner which was previously unfamiliar to me. And this unfamiliar word usage can evoke refreshing perspectives on what would otherwise be mundane events. Many years ago, before I had access to the world's bookshelves via my computer, finding particular books was not always an easy task. At one point, I was trying to find a copy of R.O Faulkner's "The Ancient Egyptian Pyramid Texts", but was not having much luck. I decided, then, to contact the publisher in order to either buy the book directly from them, or to obtain information as to where I might find it. From the bibliography I had, the publisher was listed as Aris & Phillips, Ltd., Teddington House, Warminster, Wiltshire. So I obtained their number and called them up. They informed me of a U.S. affiliate under the name of The David Brown Bookstore. Upon calling this affiliate, it was immediately apparent that the person I was talking to must be a UK native, possibly from this Warminster, Wiltshire. When I asked him if he had a copy of this book, he replied, "Yes, I think so. Let me just rummage about here". While he was "rummaging about", he asked me where I had previously looked in trying to obtain a copy. Upon naming one major franchise bookstore (which I won't name here), he replied: "Oh yes, '(named bookstore)', you won't get any joy there." And he was right; I have seldom gotten any joy there. I did, however, get a great deal of joy in listening to him talk. Amlodhi
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portmaster1000 Inactive Member |
Percy writes: I wonder if there's a translator to the US southern accent? Not quite a translator but here's a useful dictionary. http://www.fdu.com/bubbaandclem/dictionary.htm Growing up in rural NC, I can definitely relate to many of these "words." Like these: Bob War - Something to be careful of when cow tipping.Anar - Useful rhyme for car, "I betca my car can do over 150 miles anar" Britches - Something you "hold on to" when in a car doing over 150 miles anar. Liberry - A place for some powerful tinking or cyphering. Merlin - Southern state named after a fella in some ole' English legend. Night Y'allPM1K
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Amlodhi Inactive Member |
Hi portmaster1000,
And a couple more gleaned from occasional visits to an uncle in Arkansas: fade barn = a sheltered place for cattle to eat hay. just a rat = perfect water temperature for swimming or bathing. Ya gotta love it, Amlodhi
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berberry Inactive Member |
Cute site, but they got the name wrong. There are two distinct Southern dialects: the African-American variety is known as 'ebonics'. The white Southern dialect is called 'bubbanetics'.
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nator Member (Idle past 2195 days) Posts: 12961 From: Ann Arbor Joined: |
quote: But isn't a fag a cigarette?
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nator Member (Idle past 2195 days) Posts: 12961 From: Ann Arbor Joined: |
There's some pretty strong accents in the Pittsburgh, PA area, where I grew up:
Dahntahn- Downtownanat- and that jagoff- "He's a jack-off" yinz-you all nebby-nosey Jeet?-did you eat? crick-creek grinny-chipmunk keller-color airyago-There you golike at-like that can a corn-something easy More here: http://pittsburghese.com/
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jar Member (Idle past 419 days) Posts: 34026 From: Texas!! Joined: |
I grew up in Bal'mer, Mare'land. Yall needs to understand I was born in Virginya and also lived in Georgia, Noth and South Carlina as well. Learned to count one, two, tree, foe at an early age.
When I had an apartment in Bal'mer, young chick from England moved in upstairs. My roommate and I helped her carry her stuff up the steps. Later on theh stoop she showed her 'preciation by saying, "Why don't you knock me up some time". Life can be good. ![]() Aslan is not a Tame Lion
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Percy Member Posts: 22489 From: New Hampshire Joined: Member Rating: 5.0 |
I didn't know you were a near-Pittsburghite! What a wonderful city. I was there for three years just at the tail end of the steel industry's presence when the air was rapidly becoming cleaner. The windward side of the Cathedral of Learning (at my University we called it the Tower of Ignorance, you can guess where I went) was always black, every decade or two they'd clean it. I lived on Baum Blvd and on Atwood Street, and I had close friends in the suburbs in Brentwood and the surrounding area. Played a lot of tennis tournaments at Frick Park, Schenley Park, South Park and various other further flung venues. Never rode the incline, but what a beautiful city Pittsburgh is from the top, I used to drive up there all the time. And there's nothing like a Pittsburgh style sub!
Never encountered the Pittsburgh accent, but that makes sense, university can be kind of insular, everyone I knew was from somewhere else. --Percy
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nator Member (Idle past 2195 days) Posts: 12961 From: Ann Arbor Joined: |
You never listened to Myron Cope...on sports?
Here's a great website which has some audio clips of Cope doing sports commentary. A more authentic Pittsburgh accent you will never hear. http://www.iencompass.com/subsites/myron/default.html Jim and I lived on Graham St in Friendship, which is between Bloomfield and Shadyside while he was working at CMU. I really miss the 'burgh and would love to live there permenantly. You shuld go back there now. It's very clean, and there is so much to do and see. They have developed the riverfront down by the Grand Concourse, and although it is unfortunately full of national chains, it's a lot better than the empty dock that was there. The Strip District is also filled with restaurants and night spots that have a lot of live music. There has also been a big push to develop a lot of older downtown buildings into lofts and apartments so people will live there. Did you ever get a Primanti (pronounced, "Permani's") Bros. sandwich in the strip in the middle of the night? Did you ever go to Point State Park to watch the Zambelli fireworks on the 4th of July?
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Percy Member Posts: 22489 From: New Hampshire Joined: Member Rating: 5.0 |
Schraf writes: You never listened to Myron Cope...on sports? I listened to Myron Cope all the time. I can still hear his nasal voice saying, "This is Myron Cope, on sports!" What was the radio station? Was it WTAE? I miss CMU a lot, but I wonder if I would recognize it anymore. The tennis courts used to be at the center of the campus just outside of Skibo, but Skibo is gone and the tennis courts were rotated 90 degrees, if I understood the diagram I saw, which puts the sun at a bad angle. Anyway, it was a wonderful place and I enjoyed it a lot. I never heard of Primanti Bros, but I was there in the mid-70s. We used to go to Antonino's a lot, which was on North Craig Street (I think - it's been a while) a couple blocks down Forbes toward downtown. I'm not sure where the strip is or the Grand Concourse. Except for tennis I didn't get off campus much. I was also assistant coach for the tennis team (a grad student can't be head coach), so I got to travel all around Pennsylvania and Ohio every spring, but didn't get to see too much of the area down by the point. I understand Three Rivers Stadium is gone now - I once saw a game there, against Cleveland. When the Steelers had a game coming up on natural turf they would practice at Carnegie Mellon's football field, and we would sit in the stands and watch Bradshaw hit Swann with Blount in coverage. --Percy
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nator Member (Idle past 2195 days) Posts: 12961 From: Ann Arbor Joined: |
Wow, I hope you don't mind me saying so, but those were the places and names of my childhood (sorry!) and it's great to talk about them again.
The strip probably wasn't anywhere tyou wanted to be back then...just a lot of wholesale produce markets run by Italians and Koreans. Did you know that something like 5 out of the 7 Hindu temples in the US are in the Pittsburgh area? Man, do I ever miss the fabulous Indian food! And did you ever go to Dell's or the Pleasure Bar (both Italian Restaurants, not a bar and a strip club as the names suggest) in Bloomfield? We were living there in the middle of all of that new construction at CMU. The new student center is really great. We went to go see Art Spiegleman, author of the graphic novel "Maus" speak there. It's too bad you didn't get around town more. You were there for 3 years and you never made it to the point for the 4th? Wow, you must have worked too much. The Zambelli's are one of the top fireworks companies in the country and did the big show in NYC a few years back. I try to get there every couple of years to go see them with my sister. Anyway, Percy, you'd better be careful. You're giving more and more information about you. Some of us could figure out who you could be. Tennis coach at CMU in the 70's...science major...graduate student...
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Dr Jack Member Posts: 3514 From: Immigrant in the land of Deutsch Joined: Member Rating: 8.4 |
What are "ponces"? Neglectful people? Dunces? Ne'er-do-wells? Fops. Not neccesarily homosexuals, but defininetly camp.
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Dr Jack Member Posts: 3514 From: Immigrant in the land of Deutsch Joined: Member Rating: 8.4 |
But isn't a fag a cigarette? Yup - as in 'Aahm avin a faaggg'
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